


Young Justice: Renegades

by TheHufflePug



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2020-01-06 12:20:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18388331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHufflePug/pseuds/TheHufflePug
Summary: An unexplained uptick in young meta-human crime worldwide has caught the attention of the world. The U.N. proposes the creation of 'training camps' for young meta-humans to keep them out of trouble and teach them to use their powers. Nightwing sees this as imprisoning innocent kids. When one of the training camps is attacked by a crime syndicate connected to meta-human trafficking, Nightwing and Oracle recruit a small group of young meta-humans to keep them from the camp and help investigate the strange occurrences surrounding metas. In doing so, Nightwing uncovers a far more serious scheme, one that surpasses a meta-human crime wave, all while operating under the Justice League's radar.Nightwing, without help from his usual colleagues, calls in some unconventional help to assist him in training his newest team.Set around Season 3*Jason Todd is already Red Hood*Tim Drake remains Robin





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

**Blüdhaven, January 18th, 2:01 AM**

* * *

Striking sapphire eyes swept over the flickering screen mounted on the wall in the small base the Nightwing called home. The call from Bruce was an unexpected one, but the reasoning behind it wasn't a surprise. The screen flashed from news station to news station, the headlines all basically the same. He paused on a channel and quietly set the remote control onto his desk, leaning forward slowly, elbows resting on the table as he folded his hands in front of his face. A ginger haired woman with sparkling emerald eyes spoke into the camera with a composure the past few reporters on other stations possessed. Behind her was a vicious-looking young woman with glowing red eyes pressed up against a brick building as an officer secured a pair of thick metal cuffs onto her wrists, a blinking inhibitor collar already around her neck. Dick narrowed his eyes behind his mask, deducing that the girl must've only been in her late teens or early twenties.

 _"This is Iris West-Allen reporting live from Central City where yet_ another  _meta-human has been arrested, thanks to the Flash, marking this the seventh incident this week alone. The sudden uptick in meta-human related crimes is not exclusive to our city. Crimes of this nature have begun to ravage cities across the country, including Star City, Jump City, and Gotham. Despite the best efforts of the Justice League, the crime wave shows no signs of slowing."_

Click _._

_"Emmy Dexter here in Star City, where a young meta has just destroyed a local restaurant-"_

Click.

_"Live from Jump City where we're following a path of fiery destruction left behind from a young me-"_

Click.

_"-police are worried about a shortage of inhibitor collars and the packed cells at Belle Reve-"_

Click.

_"-where Batman thwarted an attack on the Gotham City bank by a telepath-"_

Dick rubbed a hand over his face and released a quiet sigh when he noticed a soft lavender glow behind his eyelid. He opened his eyes to find a message from Oracle flashing in front of the contact lens.

_Oracle: You seeing this?_

The young hero couldn't help but give a soft smile as a sudden warmth began to wash over him. He leaned back in his seat, putting his hands behind his head and propping his feet up onto the desk before he responded in a soft voice he knew would only come across as a text.

_NW:_ _Wish I wasn't._

_Oracle: The Justice League hasn't even made a dent in the crime spree. They want you to go to their next meeting to weigh in on the U.N. proposal._

_NW: So I've heard._

_Oracle: And I've heard the big bat himself called you personally. Is that enough to get you to that meeting?_

_NW: You know Bruce, he-_

_Oracle: Don't dodge my question, Dick, I asked about the meeting._

Dick quietly slid his feet off the desk and allowed himself a small grimace. For the past month the Justice League had been scrambling to recruit more people to their side to help keep the metas at bay. He had politely turned down all of their requests but even then they wouldn't stop calling. That's when he just ignored them all. That is, until Bruce personally called him about a few days ago. His relationship with the Bat wasn't too bad, they were actually on good terms for the most part, but it was still weird. Bruce had distanced himself from Dick, just like Dick had distanced himself from Bruce, and they both respected that space. The fact that he called shouldn't have changed anything, but it did.

_Oracle: You still with me?_

Dick blinked quietly and responded.

_NW: Yeah.. Just thinking._

_Oracle: The one time I'm going to say this, but stop thinking and do what your heart says. You used to be good at that._

_NW: I am thinking with my heart, Babs, they're proposing "summer camps" for these young metas as a precaution. The majority of them haven't even done anything wrong. These camps, they may not be doing any good. If anything, they'll be giant targets. The U.N. should be focusing on collaborating with the League and figuring out why the crime rate went up. Something like this doesn't just happen and sticking a bunch of scared, super-powered kids in a summer camp isn't going to do anything._

_Oracle: And that's exactly why they need you at that meeting, Dick. You're a voice of reason. Or maybe you'll be surprised and understand something about that plan you didn't think of before._

_NW: Maybe you're right._

_Oracle: Of course I'm right, now pick up the phone, call Bruce, and tell him you're in. Or at least just show up and crash a Justice League party, alright? You're one of the few in there that can see the big picture, they need you._

_NW: We'll see.._

_Oracle: You'll see. I'll talk to you later tonight. Cya cutie._

_NW: See you... cutie-er..._

_NW: ;)_

_Oracle: You're getting there._

The connection between the two shut off as Dick rose to his feet with a small chuckle, flipping open a pocket on his belt and taking a burner phone out of it. The smile on his lips slowly faded as he looked down at the phone now in his hand. He scrolled through the contacts, pausing on one titled 'B' then stopped short, his finger hovering over the 'call' button. But he couldn't do it. He then quietly slipped the phone back into the pocket on his belt, feeling almost sick for a moment. After all that encouragement from Barbara and he still couldn't find it in him to actually call him back. It was sort of embarrassing, ghosting the whole Justice League like that and only acknowledging them when Batman got involved.

But maybe showing up unannounced would be a better idea anyway, maybe he could listen in before they knew he was there and see what they had to say at their most secretive. He glanced back at the news channel still displayed on the large screen, picking up the remote and switching it off and stepping away from the desk.

Within a matter of minutes Dick was outside, perched on top of one of the tallest buildings in the area, overlooking the city street below. The phone was back in his hand once again, the vigilante grumbling unhappily as the game of tug-of-war in his head raged on. To be fair, showing up unannounced would probably look worse to the League. Not like he head anything to prove to them of course, but it would still probably seem unprofessional. He should at least call and let them know he was going to go to the meeting, it wouldn't take more than a few seconds, then he could just hang up. It really wasn't a big deal.

Dick gave a quiet groan as he caught himself trying to slip the phone back into the pocket again. He slowly moved to swing his legs over the ledge of the building and sit there for a moment, releasing an almost childish huff as he stared at the 'B' on the phone screen, his thumb brushing over the 'call' button once again. He took a deep breath, taking in the damp scent of the rainy city evening before pressing the button hesitantly.

"Damn..." he quietly hissed and put the phone to his ear.

* * *

**A/N: Ayyy, thanks for stopping by and giving this a read! I hope you enjoyed this short introduction, but yes, the plot will thicken in the coming chapters... as will Batfamily heckery as a sort of subplot**

**As much as this is a predominantly OC focused team, Nightwing and Oracle play a big part and there will be cameos from characters from the series along with quite a few reoccurring appearances from various members of the Batfam.**

**I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this journey and please drop a review or like if you feel up to it, they really are inspiration.**


	2. All The Wrong Reasons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone following along my journey with this story! I'm so excited to share my plots and characters with you, and I genuinely hope you enjoy it all. Your support means a lot to me. :)

* * *

**Watchtower**

**January 18th, 9:47 PM**

* * *

The large marble doors leading into the meeting room towered over Dick like an overwhelming parent. Yes, overwhelming, it was one of the few times he allowed himself to consider feeling that way, but truthfully how could someone be just whelmed by a giant, glorified super-hero clubhouse... in  _space_? Really he didn't know why he was so... emotional. He'd been in the Watchtower plenty of times over the past few years, but rarely ever to attend a meeting. Then again, he was never formerly invited to any of those meetings in the first place.

He tapped his foot quietly, his masked eyes glued onto the set of doors for a long while, despite knowing full well that the meeting had started over forty-five minutes ago. But what was he meant to say? He'd basically said all but 'fuck off' to the League when they had extended their invitation, and now here he was standing outside their doors like a little kid about to ask their parent to go out with friends.

Why was that the first analogy he thought of?

Dick frowned, drawing his gaze away from the doors for a moment as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest, pursing his lips. He was distracting himself from the matter at hand. The big... intimidating, stupid matter at hand. He did that too often... maybe it was psychological, or maybe it was-

_Focus, Grayson!_

As if on cue the small phone on his belt buzzed, prompting him to pick it up and check the screen. The letter icon blinked followed by a bat symbol, indicating the text was from Bruce. With slight hesitation, Dick tapped the message, a look of shock washed over his features as he read through it.

_B: Are you going to join us or stay out there?_

"How did he-" Dick scrunched up his nose slightly, slipping the phone back onto his belt before giving a small huff and rubbing both gloved hands over his face. He paused a moment, staring once again at the large marble doors with an unsure gaze. After another few moments of nervous brooding, he quietly stepped forward, reaching for the handle of the door, pausing, then grabbing it and giving it a small turn.

In all honesty he hadn't expected the Leaguers in the room to stop their conversation entirely and turn their heads to observe the young hero's entrance. Embarrassment began to wash over Dick as he flickered his gaze from person to person, noting both the familiar faces, and the new ones, immediately taking notice that the long meeting table looked extra cramped with new recruits. All for this new meta-human crisis no doubt.

"Nightwing, wonderful for you to join us.." Wonder Woman was the first to break the awkward silence, straightening her posture and offering a gentle smile toward the young man.

"I thought you were a no-show- ow.." Captain Marvel began to speak up but received a sharp elbow from Green Arrow.

"I have a right to change my mind, don't I?" Dick responded quickly, doing his best not to flinch at the harsh tone in his voice. Geez, he really wasn't helping his case.

"Yes. You do." Superman was the one to respond this time, nodding toward the slightly riled Captain Marvel. "And we're very glad you did so."

Rather than continue to speak, Dick furrowed his eyebrows and moved toward the table, looking for a way to dramatically sit down before realizing there weren't any remaining chairs. So instead, he stood in an attempted dramatic style, his gaze sweeping over toward Batman who sat rigidly, giving Dick a sideways glance. The young acrobat couldn't help but grimace slightly. Even with the cowl on, he knew when he was receiving the Batglare. The only real question was why he cared.

It took a few moments for Dick to realize the persistent silence, so he quietly spoke up, casting his gaze around to each of them.

"Well don't stop on my account, I'd actually like to be filled in if it isn't too much trouble."

It was no surprise that Batman spoke up, picking up a small remote to display various pictures of partially destroyed buildings.

"As you know the recent rise in meta-human crime is evolving into an international crisis. The reason for the increase is still unknown, but the United Nations is calling for a quick fix. They've proposed the idea of camps for young meta-humans to attend, the main focus to teach them to control their powers and offer mental support if needed."

As he spoke, the Dark Knight clicked the remote, displaying different designs and models of the camps, and then paused at an advertisement depicting elated children roasting marshmallows at a summer camp.

"However, these camps will not be optional. Any meta-human, eighteen and younger, will be forced to register and attend these camps until they reach the age of nineteen. They aren't to have any interaction with the outside world save for one visit a month by family members only."

The League quietly listened along, occasionally glancing over to Dick to try and read his reaction. He didn't have to, but he let them have it. He didn't stop himself as his face screwed up into a display of subtle disgust. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest as he listened to Batman, his eyes narrowing on the screen ever so slightly when he stopped at the image of the children over the campfire.

"So far the League is in favor of these camps." Batman concluded darkly. Dick caught on to the very subtle disapproval in his voice when he spoke and he wondered if the Leaguers had caught on to it as well, or if Bruce was choosing to remain neutral on the subject.

Dick however, would not reciprocate this choice. Instead he gave a small scoff, glancing over the faces at the table before leaning in slightly.

"Yeah, we've had these kind of camps before. They were called internment camps and they were built on discrimination." the young hero shook his head in disbelief, giving a small pause before continuing, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "In case you're not familiar with that, it basically means imprisoning innocent people against their will people because they're different."

Wonder Woman lowered her head in thought or shame, Dick couldn't decipher what she could be thinking at that moment. While the others seemed to quietly consider his words, Martian Manhunter glanced up.

"We understand this viewpoint, Nightwing, but it could be a chance for these children to learn and grow in an environment fitting for them."

"You mean in a  _prison_  disguised as some sort of peachy summer camp." Dick retorted softly, momentarily silencing the martian.

"No. In a safe environment with other kids who are going through the same hardships and the same changes. It could be stimulating and beneficial in the long run." Hawkwoman cut in, staring firmly back at the hero.

"Right... I guess it beats the alternative.." Flash added gingerly.

"What alternative?" Dick glanced toward him with narrowed eyes.

"Belle Reve." Superman was quick to come to Flash's aide. It seemed to Dick that his Nightwing persona was starting to have a slightly similar effect as Batman did. He wasn't confident in saying he was intimidating anyone in the room, not by a long shot, but there was a certain level of tension or perhaps respect when addressing him. He would find it funny if he wasn't so pissed.

"Belle Reve?" Dick repeated curtly. "You mean to tell me that if these kids aren't forcefully shoved in some summer camp with people they don't know possessing  _unpredictable_ abilities they'll end up in prison? Now we're supposed to judge character off if a kid has powers or not? I thought we were better than that."

"That's not what we're trying to say-" Green Arrow attempted sheepishly, but he was quickly shot down by Dick.

"You're saying this camp beats the alternative, but it sounds to me like you're imprisoning them either way."

Silence fell over the room for a long moment. The various Leaguers exchanged distressed glances, while Batman sat back in his chair, observing with a blank expression. However, Dick noticed a slight twitch of his lips, as if he were offering just the tiniest ghost of a smile toward his former protege. After a few more seconds of tense quiet, Hawkman spoke.

"I think they're more dangerous being unpredictable on the streets than with other kids like them..."

Dick frowned slightly as murmurs of agreement spread over the table.

"We can't be expected to babysit, there are other pressing matters than dealing with petty crimes and this is taking up all our resources..."

"Right... Even if we don't agree with some of the guidelines with the proposed plan we can tweak them to make them... more..." Green Arrow raised his hand slightly while speaking.

"Humane?" The young acrobat practically snapped out his response, his gaze flickering about the table.

Despite his initial belief that things were starting to go his way, he noticed the various heroes of Earth, although conflicted, seemed to have reached a decision. Batman however, was still stiff as a statue, his hands now folded in front of him on the table. Wonder Woman, after having remained silent for the majority of Dick's time in the meeting room, finally raised her head up from where she had lowered it to think.

"We'll hold a vote and see where we stand. We'll go with the majority and settle the disagreements with the U.N.." She announced carefully before turning her attention toward Dick. "I'm sorry, Nightwing, but you're not officially a member.. we welcome your opinion as our guest but can't have you participate in the vote. But maybe in the future you could-"

"Don't bother." Dick frowned, making sure his disappointment in his former idols would be obvious, even to Flash. "I'm not interested."

Without waiting for any sort of response, Dick quietly turned on his heel and stepped away from the table, keeping his posture straight and his head high. But deep down he was crushed. The people he had looked up to all of his life had just torn up his heart because they didn't want to 'babysit' confused metas. As he walked through the now quite whelming marble doors and back out into the open area of the Watchtower, he only had one thing on his mind.

For once in his life, he was confident the League was doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons, even if they thought they were right.

He just wondered how long it would take Bruce to come to him with the real plan.


	3. Anything But Warm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! Just a quick note. The next few chapters will feature both Nightwing and friends, and the introduction of the new team. I am referencing the timeline used in in the current YJ series, so this will take place in 2017/early 2018, so a little before season 3 starts off. :)

* * *

_**Winston Marcel** _

**Libby, Montana**

**October 19th, 2012**

* * *

The sound of laughter filled the air as a small hand gripped his own, weaving through towering pines and leading him along the snowy landscape toward the frozen lake. The small smile forcing its way across his face only grew as he watched the little girl in front of him wave her ice skates around with her free hand, the other wrapped tightly around his.

"Hurry, Winston, go faster!" She laughed and skipped along in the snow.

"No, you slow down!" He gave an amused scoff, tripping occasionally as the snow became deeper.

The early snow had been piling up for days and all his little sister wanted to do was go skating out on the lake like they did every year. It was a lovely surprise to find that the weather had chilled a bit early that year, it was a late October snow storm that blanketed the fields around their small Illinois farm with a beautiful sheet of snow.

Winston blinked, his vision swimming slightly as he was tugged along, both himself and his sister trudged through the deepening snow toward the lake. The ice shimmered in the early morning sunlight, like a beautiful glass window pane, instantly erasing the unease that nagged him.

"Look, look! It's so pretty!" Winston felt his little sister release his hand as she practically flew forward toward the lake, finding a spot where the snow thinned out to plop down and tug on the ice skates over her favorite pair of fuzzy socks.

"Just be careful, Ella." Winston quietly called after her, the smile never leaving his face as he followed behind her quietly, sitting down a few feet away to put on his own skates.

"I will, I will." The seven year old muttered to herself as she tied the laces on the ice skates and got to her feet with a bright smile.

Winston watched carefully as she unsteadily waddled onto the ice, wobbling slightly before slowly beginning to skate around the edge of the lake. The boy finished double knotting the laces of his ice skates before shakily standing himself, slipping the instant he shuffled onto the ice, his arms flailing about wildly as he slowly regained his balance.

A squeal of laughter erupted from his sister who was gracefully spinning about on the skates. Winston offered a sheepish smile before perking a brow and moving to shuffle forward erratically.

"Think that's funny, huh?" Winston feigned a scowl and continued his comedically slow pursuit, his sister practically skating circles around him.

"Slowpoooke!" Ella's light-hearted giggles sparked a happiness in Winston's heart, a rare and almost foreign feeling to him.

"Am not!" The boy laughed back at her and went to try and grab her wildly, purposefully missing to make himself look goofier to her. He smiled as it worked, the little girl only laughing more as she skated around her brother. The little girl seemed almost fairy like, flittering about on her ice skates and blinking small snowflakes from her eyes.

Winston knew this was her passion, she wanted to be a figure skater when she grew up but their parents weren't much help to her. They loved both of them and supplied them with what they needed, but they worked so hard they rarely had time for their children, so Winston was left to fill the void in Ella's heart. He didn't mind it one bit.

"I'm not the skater here, you know that." The twelve year old stuck his tongue out at his sister, smiling brightly as he struggled to maintain his balance, teetering on the skates slightly.

He glanced down to make sure the laces were tied correctly, there was no way he was that wobbly. To his dismay, the skates were on properly, he was just clumsy as hell. He glanced back up then, opening his mouth to crack a joke at his sister, only to find she was no where in sight. His breath caught in his throat for a moment as he choked back a gasp, looking around quickly.

"Ella-?" He gave a startled cry when he felt two small hands on his back, pushing him forward gently on the ice. A sigh of relief escaped the boy as he glanced back at his sister, smiling shakily.

"Hah! Scaredy-cat!" She teased him loudly, sticking her tongue out as she shoved him forward, helping him to skate around the lake.

"You go too fast." Winston mumbled quietly, his arms out at his sides a little bit as he maintained his balance.

"Yeah, yeah! I'm like the Flash on skates... and a girl. I'm like girl-Flash!" She finally moved away from her brother and grinned, doing a graceful spin before continuing to skate around swiftly.

"Mhmm... Kid Flash has some competition." Winston offered a brief smirk as he managed to start to get his balance, feeling the smooth ice beneath the skates. A sense of calm washed over him, his movements became less jerky and a bit more loose. In truth, he wasn't a terrible skater himself, he just didn't practice every chance he got like Ella. But he probably loved it just as much.

The sound of the skates cutting through the ice and the gentle snowflakes drifting around them like a snow-globe with the extra grace of a perfectly cold breeze nipping at his face. Where anyone else might feel uncomfortable in the frigid weather, he felt connected with himself. It happened every so often during the winter, specifically when they were out on the ice. As he glided slowly along the lake he crouched slightly, sliding his gloved fingers across the glossy ice, another smile gracing his face.

It truly was a great day for skating too, the only thing that would've made it better is if it were a little bit sunnier. The sky was already gray and overcast and because of the days becoming shorter, their surroundings were, although blissful, a bit dark already.

"See! You can do it too!" Ella called out happily from her position across the lake, doing another twirl.

"Yep! I'm almost as good as you-" He cut off as he drifted too close to the snow bank and caught his skate on a patch of snow, flying into the snow along the lake.

Powdery snow flew up into the air as he made impact, fortunately breaking his fall. The giggles from his sister grew louder as he pulled himself up from the snow and brushed some of it from his jet-black hair. His sister was turned toward him, laughing hysterically as she pointed at him in amusement. Winston grinned back at her, blinking snow from his eyes as he focused on his sister.

And then on the shadow slowly moving in the trees behind her.

Winston furrowed his brows, the smile slowly faltering as he stared further into the trees. The enormous shadow wasn't a trick of the light, and it wasn't a shadow. It was a silhouette.

"Win? What is it?" His sister tilted her head in confusion at her brother's sudden change in demeanor.

"Ella, come over here slowly, please." Winston's voice was strained and quiet, but carried enough to make it to his sister. She suddenly went pale and went to look over her shoulder.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked quickly, the fear in her voice obvious before she caught sight of what was behind her. She gave a panicked gasp and quickly started to skate forward.

"Slowly, Ella!" Winston called out in alarm, but it was too late.

The silhouette gave a grunt then a thundering roar as it lumbered from the trees, confirming Winston's fears while making a very fast pace toward his sister. Winston watched in terror as it stepped onto the ice, pausing in its advance as soon as Ella slid into his arms.

It was a massive grizzly bear, most likely caught off guard by the early snow and beginning to rush its search for food for the winter. Winston wrapped his arms protectively around Ella, offering a comforting squeeze when he felt her trembling in his arms, her wide brown eyes locked onto the bear.

"Be quiet and be slow... okay? It's going to be okay.." Winston whispered quietly to her, but his sister gave no response.

She wasn't stupid, he knew that, they were stuck in a situation few get out alive from. There had been plenty of bear sightings around their small Montana town, and though attacks were rare, if they did happen it was right around the winter months. And it seemed they were about to be the next statistic.

The bear was on all fours, its massive snout tilted upward as its nose twitched from side to side before it took another step closer. Winston slowly backed toward the bank with Ella in his grasp. He knew if they tried to run they'd both be killed, they couldn't out run a bear.

But maybe if one of them got a head start...

"Ella... when I say go I want you to run back toward home, okay?" Winston quietly, but quickly whispered to his sister who tensed in his arms.

"What about you?" She quickly mumbled back, her voice still strained.

"I'll be right behind you, okay?" It was a blatant lie. The bear might not even pursue him and if it did go after Ella, he'd have to stop it. He hated to lie to his sister, but he knew it was the only way to get her home. "Very... slowly... get your skates off.."

"Okay..." Her trembling intensified as she slowly inched behind him, crouching slowly before quickly beginning to untie the laces on the skates.

As Winston moved to do the same, the bear stepped forward at the movement, giving another grunt. Its seemingly soulless black eyes bore into Winston's terrified amber gaze. Ella managed to yank the skates off, prompting the bear to continue its advance on the pair. Winston gave a small flinch when the sound of the ice crackling under its weight reached his ears. He managed to slip his own skates off, even though he was wearing socks, he could feel the frigid ice beneath his feet and it didn't feel as comforting anymore.

Behind him, Ella stood slowly.

"O-Okay... ready?" Winston tensed, slowly getting to his feet as well. Ella gave a whimper as her response. "Just run.. don't look back. Promise?"

There was a pause.

"I promise.."

"Good..." Winston's breathing hitched slightly before he finally muttered to her. "Go.. go!"

Ella took off like a bullet, scrambling through the snow. In the same instant, Winston moved forward toward the bear slightly before darting to the side, hoping to steal the bear's attention away from his sister. To his relief and horror, the bear turned its massive head toward him, releasing an aggravated roar.

"Come on..." Winston slid across the ice, struggling to keep his footing as he carefully maneuvered himself to be toward the opposite side of the ice so the bear would be facing away from Ella's direction.

The bear growled quietly before turning its head back toward Ella and taking a step toward the other side of the bank.

"No!" Winston called out, toward the bear before looking around. He swiftly scooped up a handful of snow, packed it in his hands and slid forward, hurling a snowball at the bear.

The makeshift weapon collided with the back of the bear's head, prompting the creature to whip around and begin to lumber forward toward him. The sound of crackling ice grew louder as the beast continued its advance, stealing Winston's attention away from the drooling muzzle to the ice beneath its massive paws. The closer the bear got to the center, the less the ice was able to support it. Winston slowly made his way around the bear, slowly luring it toward the center. If he could get it to move forward at a quick enough pace, the weight could be enough to crack the ice.

Winston carefully positioned himself toward the center of the lake, watching with wide eyes as the bear approached, listening for the crackling beneath its paws before leaning backward slightly. With one swift movement he whipped around and made a dash toward the bank of the lake, barely keeping his balance as he slipped across the ice.

The sound of thundering paws behind him spurred him to keep moving. He didn't look back to watch it happen, but he heard the horrible sound of ice splitting apart and the gargled wail of the bear behind him followed by a loud splash. His balance finally gave away as the ice beneath him shook slightly, sending him sliding forward a few feet. Silence fell over the lake for a moment or as Winston lay on his back, staring up at the overcast sky, gasping for air. He very slowly propped himself up, slowly moving to stand before the silence was shattered by the sound of faint crackling beneath his feet. Winston's heart dropped as he glanced down, noticing a long crack between where the bear had fallen into the lake and where he stood. Tiny splits in the ice were forming beneath his feet as he stood there.

He quickly looked around, focusing shoreline about fifteen feet from where he stood. Very carefully he inched forward, cringing as the crackling grew louder. Then suddenly the sound of something large bursting through the ice behind him stole his attention. The grizzly bear frantically paddled toward the ice, gripping onto it, only to break it away and fall back into the water. The more it repeated this, the larger the crack became.

Winston turned back around and darted forward, the shoreline getting closer and closer, then suddenly the ground gave away beneath him.

Within an instant his breath was drawn from his lungs, he gasped in shock before the cold water enveloped him. It was beyond cold, it  _hurt,_ as if a million little needles were jammed into every part of his body. And then everything gradually started to become numb. He forced his arms and legs to move, swimming frantically for the surface. He broke through the icy water and grappled for the nearest patch of ice. He could barely feel the sheet of ice he grabbed onto and tried to pull himself out.

The ice beneath his hands crumbled away, plunging him back into the dark water. Tears of frustration and fear sprang to his eyes as he quickly scrambled to grab onto the next patch of ice, this one significantly more solid. He placed his hands firmly onto the ice and began to haul himself up, giving a quiet cry as pain shot up his arms and into his shoulders. This time, he succeeded in pulling himself up onto the ice, immediately collapsing.

The sounds of the struggling bear behind him had become fuzzy. He slowly rolled onto his stomach and pulled himself to his hands and knees, struggling to regain his breath. He took a moment to peel off the soaking wet gloves sticking to his hands before slowly dragging himself toward the shoreline, the feeling of solid, steady ground sparking hope in his heart as he attempted to get back to his feet.

Winston's legs immediately gave out when he stood, sending him back to the ground with a pained grunt. He screwed his eyes shut for a moment. Maybe if he waited here, Ella would find him.. or the bear would find a way out of the lake and get to him first. When he opened his eyes again, his vision blurred, the shadowy trees before him appearing taller than he remembered and more distorted. He couldn't tell if he was even on the right side of the lake. He closed his eyes again, exhaustion beginning to overtake his rapidly numbing body.

The image of Ella flashed in front of his eyes. She was terrified, she might not even know what to do. What if she didn't make it back to the house, what if something happened to her?

She  _needed_ him.

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open again, the snowflakes were bigger now and falling quicker, the piercing wind picking up and sending them cascading around him. It was almost peaceful, the faint throbbing pain throughout his body was present, but quelled if he didn't move. Besides, he was so  _tired_ , all he wanted to do was curl up and sleep.

But if he did, he'd die. And Ella would be left alone.

Winston clenched his chattering teeth together, slowly heaved himself back up onto his hands and knees and began to drag himself forward toward the forest that he hoped would lead back to his family's ranch. He was vaguely aware of the sensation of the powdery snow beneath his now bare hands. Everything began to ache the moment he had decided to move. It was dull, but persistent, despite his inability to really feel any part of his body. The only thing he was aware of was the pain and the sound of the wind that whipped at him from all angles.

He presumed the bear was dead, or retreated back into the forest because he hadn't heard any noise coming from the lake since he had fallen in. Maybe it drowned, maybe it froze to death.

He killed a bear. How badass was that? Ella was going to freak out when she heard.

A shaky smile found its way onto his face as he continued to slowly crawl forward. A laugh bubbled up from his chest and escaped him through the form of a hoarse, pained exhale. Then the tears began to form in his eyes, a stinging sensation filling them as his vision blurred slightly.

She wouldn't hear about it. He was going to die. He could feel it.. or well, he couldn't. The pain was subsiding, as was his strength. His arms began to tremble under his weight as he continued forward. Then it happened. His left arm gave up, causing him to crumple into the powdery snow beside a shadowy pine tree. He slowly curled up, leaning against the practically frozen bark, shivering violently.

The tears spilled over onto his face, he gave a strained sob as he hugged his knees to his chest before squeezing his eyes shut. Nothing hurt anymore, but that was the scary part, at least in his eyes. Because he knew what that meant. He was never going to see Ella again, he was never going to get to ride the horses, or play his guitar, he was never going to ice skate again.

The skating. He remembered how the ice felt under his feet. It felt solid and safe, it felt right. He was naive to believe the snow was gentle, that the ice was beautiful, that the cold air was refreshing, that he could relate to it. It was all cruel and unforgiving, it was going to kill him and he was afraid of it, he should've been from the start.

The wind whipped at his face, causing him to retreat further against the tree. He didn't recognize where he was, if anything he was on the other side of the lake, he wasn't even going the right way. No one was going to find him.

He was going to die alone.

* * *

_"Can you hear me? Hello?"_

The gruff voice was faint, echoing around Winston's pounding head as he tried in vain to open his eyes. They almost felt glued shut. He tried to move but his body wouldn't respond, everything felt numb, cold.

_"Jesus, Chief...is he even alive?"_

There was a more feminine voice this time, one he found oddly soothing. Slowly, he tried to move again.

_"If he wasn't we wouldn't be here, would we?"_

He was vaguely aware of a very faint warmth along his left side, as if someone were carrying him.

" _I'm just saying, this is a long shot."_

_"But it's a shot nonetheless, hurry along now."_

Everything was a fuzzy blur. The voices, the light behind his eyelids, the strange warmth yet the lingering bitter cold. He was disoriented, he barely even remembered what he was doing, how he ended up this way. What had happened? Where was Ella? The ice skates, the lake, the snow.

_"Set him down gently.. gently I said! Now quick, get me that briefcase."_

The warmth was gone, replaced by an overwhelming cold.. then crippling heat. He tried speaking, no noise came out. He was conscious, but could barely react to anything. Desperate to escape the discomfort, he tried to distract himself with remembering what was happening. Ella, right. Ice skates, the lake, the snow. The sky, yes, the sky was beautiful.

He managed a small whimper of pain, before he felt what he guessed was a hand pressed gently onto his forehead. The same hand gingerly brushed his hair back in a soothing manner, before it stopped.

_"He's ice cold..."_

_"He's alive. What did he tell you?"_

_"I told you to get me that damn briefcase, and get it fast."_

The cold surface beneath him slowly began to feel gradually more hot, as if a fire were burning beneath it. He managed to shift slightly, his eyelids beginning to budge.

_"Listen to me, stay still okay?"_

Winston felt a firm hand on his shoulder, pressing him further into the burning table. He gave another groan of pain before slowly trying to move his arm, the lethargic feeling in his body slowly began to lift.

Ella. Ice Skates, the lake, the snow, the sky... the water...

He was suddenly aware of a bright light behind his eyes, one that was very uncomfortable. It was too bright, it hurt.

The lake, the snow, the sky, the water... the bear.

And finally his eyes fluttered open, he squinted in the bright light, giving a small, startled gasp before turning his head slowly. He tried to move his arms, but despite regaining feeling in them, he found he was still unable to move. Slowly, he glanced down to find his arms and legs restrained by a set of metal rings keeping him in place on a metal table.

A burning metal table.

Panic flooded his senses, quickly he tried to jerk his arm upward, sending a shockwave of pain up into his shoulder.

"I said stay  _still!"_ The curt voice sounded much more clear now, he tracked it to someone seated beside him.

That's right. There were people, people were here. People he didn't know.

"What's happening..." He wanted to say more, he thought he said more, but those were the only words he could muster in his confused haze.

"We're going to help you, okay? Just calm down..."

The burning grew more intense the more he moved, but if he didn't move, he wouldn't escape, he couldn't get home. Allowing fear to dictate his actions, he quickly pulled up on the restraints again, before going rigid at the fiery pain that flooded is body.

"Chief, his temp-!"

"I know! Damn it, the briefcase!"

"I'm going as fast as I can, okay?"

Winston's frightened gaze flickered about to the various blurry figures standing around him, fueling his panic. He glanced down again to notice something white slowly spreading across the restraints. It looked like frost.

His breath caught in his throat as he tried to pull his wrist loose. The sound of something clicking open beside him stole his attention. He glanced over, squinting as he tried to focus his vision. The figure beside him was either really short or sitting down, he looked... fairly old from what he could tell. And he looked like he had some sort of gun in his hand.

Winston quickly turned his head the other way and screwed his eyes shut, flinching away from the man who drew closer.

"This is only going to hurt for a second, but it'll help you."

He felt something press against his arm, and then pain jolted through his upper arm, causing him to give a cry of pain. There was an alarmed squeak from the other side of him, then a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The pain lingered for a moment before it slowly dissipated, the overwhelming heat surrounding him slowly subsided, replaced by a soothing coolness. Winston's rigid posture melted away into one of ease.

Whatever it was, it worked fast. Gradually, the voices around him once again turned to mere indiscernible echos as a deep drowsiness washed over him. The desire to know where he was at the time slowly faded, leaving him with only the desire to sleep.

* * *

**Chicago, Illinois | 7:21 PM**

**Five Years Later**

* * *

Winston sat up from the couch with a quiet gasp, glancing around the room with narrowed eyes. Everything was normal. No bright lights, no fires, no guns, no bears. Only himself in the small apartment on the third floor with Ella and his father.

"You okay?" The gentle voice across the room broke him from his stupor.

The teen blinked and shifted his attention from the floor to where his sister sat at the tiny excuse of a dinner table, a text book laid out in front of her. Winston smiled softly and gave a small nod.

"Terrific."

"I thought you'd say 'cool'."

"No, ew.. That's an awful pun."

"Yeah but.." Ella offered a sheepish smile and pointed toward the blanket over her brother.

Winston frowned and glanced down, giving a small huff at the sight of the fuzzy blanket partially frozen over, splotches of ice discoloring the natural bright red of the fabric. With a grumble, Winston dragged himself off the couch and bunched up the old family blanket, tossing it into a nearby laundry basket.

"Sorry, I'll get us a new one." He responded dryly, shuffling to the kitchen.

He noted that Ella remained uncharacteristically quiet, something that troubled him slightly. Normally his sister was a walking ball of uncontrollable energy, but for the past few days, she'd be unusually serious.

"You mean steal a new one?"

"What?" Winston glanced over his shoulder at her as he reached for a glass crammed into the singular cabinet above the kitchen sink.

He quietly poured some water into the cup as he awaited a response, turning to face his sister while leaning back against the counter, taking a small sip.

"Don't act dumb, Win, I know how you and dad got all that stuff for my birthday." The girl quietly looked back down to her homework, aggressively punching a few numbers into a calculator.

Winston furrowed his brows, watching her do so with a worried gaze. He started to respond, then quickly stopped. There really wasn't a point in trying to argue, she was right. But what else were they supposed to do? Their mother had cut them off from the ranch and the family, sending them off to live with their dad's relatives in Chicago. Their dad barely got a place for the three of them. Money was tight but birthdays were important, so was eating in general.

"It was only a few things, El.. the guy won't miss them, he restocks the store every week." Winston took another sip from the glass, almost choking when Ella spun around in the chair with her gaze possessing the very wrath of God.

"I'm twelve years old and I understand better than you do." she slowly got to her feet, snatching the TV remote from the kitchen counter before marching into the living room. She pointed the remote at the TV and switched it on, displaying a newscast.

_"With metahuman crime developing into an uncontrollable international crisis, the United Nations and the Justice League have agreed on the establishment of a number of metahuman camps designed to both contain and train young metahumans."_

Ella switched the volume down slightly but left the news up before turning toward Winston who slowly set the glass back down onto the counter.

"That's a  _prison,_ Winston." she continued curtly. "They're putting you in there just for being a meta-human, imagine what they'd do with you if they knew that you're an actual criminal."

"I'm not a criminal."

"You steal!"

"I steal for a reason, Ella!" Winston snapped back instantly. "And that reason is you and dad. He's out there every day working himself to death and still just barely making enough to pay rent. How do you expect us to get away with even one meal a day in this kind of position?"

A pang of guilt struck Winston like lightening as he practically deflated, watching his sulking sister with a sympathetic gaze. He was silent for a moment before stepping forward slowly. He paused a few feet in front of her then gently wrapped her up into a hug, holding her close for a few moments. The girl hesitantly returned the embrace after a few seconds of extra brooding.

"I'm sorry.." Winston quietly muttered.

Ella was silent for a moment, simply hugging her brother before speaking softly.

"I just don't want them to find you.."

"They won't find me, Ella."

"Promise?"

Winston finally released his sister from the hug and turned away, leaning heavily on the counter before glancing out toward the dark window.

"Winston."

"I'll be right back to make dinner, okay?"

He then moved away from the counter and toward the back rooms where his bedroom was located. He couldn't lie to his sister, but he also wouldn't straight up take any hope away from her either.

In truth the government had really been cracking down on the whole meta human stuff. They sent out a notice weeks ago alerting families of the new rules and they wasted no time in rounding up meta kids and sending them off to those camps, but he didn't register and he sure as hell wasn't going to let them know his location. But he most definitely used his powers from time to time in order to get what he wanted. It was only a matter of time before they tracked him down, especially with the Justice League on their side.

Winston slowly sat down on the edge of his bed, rubbing his hands over his face as he attempted to calm himself down. The sound of ice beginning to creep over the window behind him forced him from his attempted meditative state. He gave a small huff and glanced over his shoulder at the window before slowly getting up. He went over to it and stared out at the city lights before him, obscured by the thin sheet of frost and ice.

After a moment he turned away and moved back toward the door, taking a deep breath as he listened to the sound of cars rushing past on the street below. Then the sound of a door banging open and Ella's harsh voice.

"Get lost! I don't care who's with you!"

Winston quickly darted from his room, skidding to a stop at the end of the hall as he stared at the scene before him. The door was wide open, various people in fancy suits stood in the doorway, one of them towering over a furious Ella.

"Step away from my sister... now..." Winston slowly stepped forward, a sudden chill filled the room, familiar to both Winston and Ella, but foreign to the intruders.

The intruders instantly tensed, hands reaching for the weapons at their belts or hidden under the coats, but paused at the sound of footsteps from the hallway

"We're not here to hurt anyone, kid. Settle down." A deep, yet familiar voice emerged from the doorway, halting Winston. "We just want you to come with us peacefully and quietly. We want to help you."

Winston heard his sister give a small, surprised gasp, his gaze locked onto the man in the ridiculous tights who now took up the entirety of the door frame. Any hope of getting out of the idiotic meta-human prison camp headed straight for the drain.

Winston's face scrunched up into an irritated scowl.

"Son of a  _bitch..._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey howdy, that was a long introduction but uH, hope you like this heckery. Please let me know of any thoughts, opinions or criticisms you may have, I welcome all of it!
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read this and I really hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Have a great Easter!


	4. Light in the Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who reads and gives Kudos, it really means so much to me! I hope you're all enjoying it. <3

* * *

_**Kinsley Alvaro** _

**Gotham City Suburbs, 7:15 AM**

* * *

The only two things on Kinsley's mind as she made her way down the steps was: A. It was too early for this shit and B. Wonder Woman looked better on TV.

The hero stood by the door with a few fancied up government officials or whatever, hands on her hips. They had arrived only fifteen minutes prior, which was an hour earlier than they side they'd be getting to her house. Kinsley had barely even gotten out of bed to pack when the doorbell rang. And there she was, Wonder Woman herself in all her armored bathing suit, straight out of a model magazine glory. Kinsley was almost irritated and thought of it as ironic.

But what was she going to do to stop it? Attack her? Even if she could hold her own against the woman, she guaranteed she couldn't if the whole Justice League swamped her house. She saw it on the news. A kid had refused to go with her escort and fought back against Captain Marvel. She managed to beat the crap out of him at first until the League showed up and subdued her. They were lucky they didn't force her off to Belle Reve in a straight jacket.

Kinsley gave an involuntary shudder at the thought of the inside of a cell, gripping onto her suitcase handle tightly. When she stepped at the base of the stairs, she gave a small huff, setting the bag down beside her.

"Do I have time to grab some coffee?" she asked toward the hero by the door, eyeing the various officials around her.

The woman slowly smiled and nodded her head after giving her watch a small glance.

"Certainly, take your time."

One of the men beside her quietly protested, but Wonder Woman held up a hand to silence him. Kinsley watched the exchange for a just a moment, a small smirk making its way onto her face as she turned her back to the door and ambled into the empty kitchen. She gripped the coffee pot and slowly poured some of the coffee into a styrofoam to-go mug. Taking a sip, she glanced around at the kitchen.

Her parents had already left for work, given her a few words of advice, the generic 'I love you' and 'I'll see you soon' spiel. Granted she was already eighteen so she wouldn't have to worry much about staying too long in the camp. As soon as she turned twenty or proved she was in control of her powers, she was out of there. With her powers she could probably snag up a government job or secure a place in the League in no time.

"Are you almost ready, Kinsley?" Wonder Woman called from the doorway.

"Whatever happened to 'take your time'?" Kinsley smirked as she took another sip of coffee then made her way back toward the door. She was only poking some fun, but Wonder Woman looked genuinely regretful.

"I'm sorry, we're just on a tight schedule is all, we have a few more stops to make." the hero quietly remarked before turning away from the teen and holding the door open for her.

Kinsley didn't respond, she allowed the woman to feel guilty. She probably should since the whole point of the Justice League seemed diminished by this stupid camp rule. Kinsley grabbed up her suitcase in one hand and held her coffee firmly in the other, taking a long sip as she walked silently past the group and out onto the front porch. She stepped along the cobblestone path leading to an unmarked, dreary dark gray bus parked by the curb.

She assumed she was probably one of the first stops since there didn't appear to be too many people on the bus yet. She squinted in the early morning sun, eyeing the dark strip of paper along the side of the bus that read 'Division Two'. Maybe they were putting kids on the bus based off where they were located or something.

"Kinsley, wait."

Wonder Woman's voice rang out behind her, prompting her to stop short and turn around. She perked a brow at the woman then slowly frowned when she noticed the objects in her hand.

" _Hell_  no, don't even start-"

"It's just a precaution, Miss Alvaro, I promise they'll come right off once you arrive in Maine."

Kinsley stared at the woman then uttered a quiet curse, looking away briefly. The hero slowly approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be alright."

Slowly, the woman took Kinsley's hands in her own and slipped two metal rings over her wrists. An odd tingling shuddered through her body for a brief moment before it dissipated.

Inhibitor bracelets.

They were less... harsh than collars, and typically they only dulled powers, they didn't take them away completely, but they were often extremely effective when it came to younger metas who hadn't fully developed their powers yet. The teen ripped away from the older woman, snatching her suitcase from where she had placed it on the ground then whipped around, ignoring the woman's quiet apology.

She noted the elderly driver of the bus standing beside the door, arms behind his back, watching with a kind, but intelligent gaze.

"I'll take your bag, miss.." he quietly offered in a distinct British accent. He held out a hand to which Kinsley placed the handle of her suitcase. The man dipped slightly at the sudden weight in his hand.

"Thanks." The teen wasted no time in climbing the steps of the bus, watching as the driver shoved her suitcase in the compartment space beneath the bus, muttering to himself.

Kinsley paused at the top of the steps, glancing at the various teenagers staring blankly out windows or brooding in their seats, headphones shoved over their ears. Each and every one of them had some sort of inhibitor on them. In the back sat ones with collars, toward the front, bracelets. She made eye contact with a few as she slowly made her way down the aisle with narrowed eyes. She could practically feel the tension and anxiety hovering in the air as unfriendly gazes lingered on her then looked away. None of them seemed very welcoming, but each told their own story.

Fiery emerald.

Unstable, piercing blue.

Sorrowful dark brown.

Scheming amber.

And then she paused half way down the aisle, settling onto a pair of soft, puppyish brown eyes. They belonged to a boy, probably no older than eleven with wispy light blonde hair, subtly bouncing in his seat. Somehow he looked both terrified and excited, but he wasn't like the others. He didn't look angry with the world or with himself.

"Is this seat taken?" Kinsley smiled gently, turning to face him.

The boy perked up slightly, shaking his head. He looked almost surprised.

"Oh! Nope."

"Mind if I..?" Kinsley nodded to the seat.

"Oh sure! I'd love to have some company." The boy dipped his head and carefully looked around before offering a sheepish smile toward her. "The others are kinda scary... or sad..."

"So I see." The teen maintained her soft smile, slipping into the seat beside the boy when he shimmied closer to the window.

The smile faltered slightly when she noticed him absentmindedly tugging on the thin bracelets around his wrists. His knee continued to bounce up and down slightly as he turned his head toward the window thoughtfully. Kinsley watched him for another minute before looking away herself. He was so young... the others on the bus were at least fifteen, but not him. It made her wonder if there was even an age limit on taking kids away from their families.

"What's yours?"

The question pulled Kinsley from her thoughts. She blinked then turned her head toward him, leaning forward to prop her elbows on her legs.

"Sorry? I didn't hear."

"I said my name's Chance! What's yours?"

"Kinsley."

The boy, Chance, brightened at that, flashing a heart-melting smile that physically warmed Kinsley.

"No way! That's such a cool name."

"Thanks..."

Then teen slowly smiled, giving a small shake of her head at his seemingly boundless energy. At that moment, the bus doors screeched shut and the driver pulled the bus out of park, rumbling forward. Chance gave a small start at the sudden movement and shrank back into the corner between the seat and the window. Kinsley frowned and tilted her head toward him, moving to place a gentle head on his shoulder.

"You okay?" she made sure to keep her voice low and gentle, as to not frighten him more.

"Oh... yeah I'm fine just... I didn't really travel much and... buses sort of.. well they're bumpy and loud... yep.. really... loud.." he frowned and hugged his knees to his chest, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"Hey, it's alright... uhm.." Kinsley briefly panicked, looking around. She was never really the best with kids, as much as she thought they were cute. "How about we...uh play a game?"

Chance opened one eye to glance at her.

"Yeah, a game like uh... I-Spy... or something." Kinsley offered a cheesy smile, hoping maybe that helped somewhat.

"Mrm... okay..." Chance slowly sat up, moving to prop himself up onto his knees, glancing out the window. "You first?"

Kinsley blinked, a bit taken aback that she actually had to follow through with her proposition, then flashed another half-hearted smile.

"Uh... sure. Yeah...I spy..." she paused, frowning as she watched the mundane houses and manicured lawns pass the bus. She then shifted her attention to a pair of bright red headphones situated on top of a girl near the front of the bus. She then smiled mischievously and glanced at him. "Red."

Chance perked up at that, a smile crossing his face as he shifted from the window to peer over the seats. He narrowed his eyes and bit down on his lip softly, glancing scanning the bus before giving a small gasp.

"Ooh! Headphones." He pointed right at the girl in the front of the bus, glancing over his shoulder to grin at Kinsley.

"Darn, you're good at this game." She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back, giving a content sigh. "You're up."

The teen watched with a small smirk on her face as the boy beside her bounced slightly on his knees, completely having forgotten the rumbling of the bus. Everyone on the bus knew where they were going. When she got the official letter it said they were headed to some mountains up in Maine, great place to camp apparently. But it wouldn't feel like some kiddy field trip, she knew that much, and it seemed like the others knew that too. This was a disaster waiting to happen and considering the circumstances she was glad she could cheer the kid up.

She just wondered if she'd eventually be able to feel the same way.


	5. A Bit of a Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and giving Kudos and that sort of thing, it really inspires me and keeps me going! 
> 
> In return, here's a bit of hUmoR.

* * *

_**Amett Vincezno** _

**Vermont Backroads, 8:03 PM**

* * *

Amett had always wondered what it would be like to be on an airplane. The idea of being so high up that you could fly over a freaking  _thunderstorm_  without knowing a storm was even happening. That was awesome. He had known right away he was going to be traveling when he and his twin sister, Amalia, first received their 'invitation' letter to Camp 10-A.

#1: Invitation turned out to be a bunch of bologna.

#2: The name 'Camp 10-A' was creepy as hell.

Despite the initial frustration, and talks with his family and the police, he was excited. He had brainstormed with Amalia over where this creepy camp could be located. Amalia had said Canada, he guessed space. They both agreed it was far away, so his first thought was that he was finally going to be on an airplane.

Boy, was he wrong.

Their ride was first a train, then essentially a glorified school bus. At least for Amalia that is, since that got separated and put on separate buses once they left the house. He got the freaky prison bus with a bunch of edgy looking kook-buckets chained to the window with a side of nasty inhibitor collars.

Which led to his current situation, no, no. Crisis. Definitely a crisis. Amett forgot about what it felt like to be entertained... and to move... and to feel his leg which had fallen asleep over the past two hours of sitting.

He had resorted to staring at the raindrops which slid down the window, pretending they were apart of a high stakes race. Sometimes they tied, sometimes one of them would win right away... most of the time one would eat the other and then there would only be one competitor which Amett didn't find very fair at all.

That got boring pretty quick.

So he decided to watch Superman fly along side both his bus and the one in front of them. He guessed that was for the good kids or something, that's the one Amalia was put on.

That also got boring.

He huffed quietly and settled back in his seat, his gaze moving up toward the ceiling before traveling downward again to meet a pair of glowing red eyes originating from the girl sitting across from him. Amett offered a hesitant smile, lifting his hand to give a small wave.

"How's it goin'?"

He was met with silence and a murderous glare.

"Nice day, don't you think? I mean rain's kinda dreary but calming, you know?"

More silence.

"What's your name?"

The girl suddenly let out an inhumane hiss and lunged at him, only to be jerked backward by the chains keeping her in her seat. Regardless, Amett let out a terrified squeal and flew backward into the window, laughing awkwardly.

"Th-That's a lovely name."

" _ **Die**. **"**_ The girl sneered viciously.

"Okay." Amett sank further against the window, a horrified expression plastered on his face as he watched the girl scowl in frustration and lean against the window again. And suddenly the sound of amused laughter reached his ears. He frowned and brought his feet up as much as he could to shift on the seat and end up on his knees. He positioned himself carefully to peer over the seat behind him.

The laughter was coming from an alarmingly relaxed looking teenager with icy blue eyes and jet black hair, although he made sure to note the bruising around his left eye. When Amett turned around he stopped laughing and tilted his head.

Amett stared with wide eyes at the boy, watching as he narrowed his eyes and perked a brow. There was a long silence as the two stared at each other, one out of curiosity and one intending to intimidate.

"Boo."

Amett squeaked and ducked behind the seat as the boy suddenly jerked forward slightly, enough to rattle the handcuffs keeping him practically glued to the window and thoroughly spook the younger boy. Amett remained hidden behind the seat until he was vaguely aware of the sound of handcuffs against the window and the sensation of a pair of eyes on him. He slowly peered up to stare into the amused pale blue eyes again, blinking.

"What's a little kindergartener like you doing on the big kid bus?" The teen's voice was mocking, and to be truthful, it sort of irritated Amett.

"I'm nearly fifteen, thank you very much." Amett frowned and suddenly sat up, puffing out his chest a little.

The teen perked a brow and gave him a once over, deepening Amett's frown.

"Mhm."

"I  _am!"_

"You don't act like it, kiddo." The teen disappeared behind the seat and settled back into the corner of his own seat and the window.

"Maybe I like it that way." Amett poked his head over the back of his seat again, staring down at the other boy.

"You won't when you're literally ripped to shreds by Freaky Friday over there." The boy nodded over to the terrifying red-eyed girl who snarled toward the pair.

Amett let out an uncomfortable whimper before glancing back at the person who probably scared him the least on the bus.

"Actually, she said her name was  _HissSSsSsSRRrrrrrhhg._." Amett made an attempt to mimic the girl's horrific hissing noises, which elicited a snort of amusement from the black-haired boy and another snarl from the girl. "What's yours?"

The boy hesitated a moment then glanced out the window casually.

"Winston."

"Cool! I'm Amett.. Hey what happened to your eye?"

The boy, now identified as Winston, scrunched up his nose slightly.

"None of your business. Now sit down and shut it before someone tears your head off."

Amett frowned once again, shrinking back a little and sliding back into his seat.

Rude.

Silence once again fell over the bus, prompting Amett to shift a little bit in his seat impatiently. They had been driving for  _hours._ He didn't understand why they wouldn't have taken a plane, or why they separated him from his sister. These people looked like criminals... and they were mean. They were handcuffed for goodness sake, he didn't belong here. He was 123.9% not a criminal.

Then realization hit him like a truck.

Maybe he  _was_  a criminal. He went to court one time, on accident, well not on accident, he totally did it on purpose. But he thought he was doing the right thing.

All he did was jumpstart his principal's car. Or rather... he tried to.. It was in the middle of winter, the engine stalled in the middle of the school parking lot, and well, the old geezer didn't really like any of the students as far as he could tell so he was just grumping and being awful and all that. Amett naturally thought he might be able to help, jumpstarting was sort of his thing.

So, he just kinda.. went up to the car, used both hands and channeled enough electricity to jumpstart a rocket ship. Which... now looking back on it was probably a bit too much. The car looked like a french fry in a matter of seconds and the principal wasn't exactly the nicest about it, he took him to court and everything which was lame.

But it got settled eventually and he  _thought_ that it wasn't going to go on his record or anything. After all, he did it to try to help, it just kind of... backfired a little bit... well a lot a bit.. but he had good intentions. And now he was stuck on the Creep-Mobile with Freaky Friday and Angsty Winston with a mysterious black eye.

That's what trying to be a good guy does for you. Not that Amett would have it any other way but... he kinda wanted it literally any other way. It was a mistake, he knew it, but it was a scary one. He at least wanted off of the bus and to be with his sister in the other bus in front of them, or to know where they were going. He was sure they had to be miles and miles from home because of the sheer amount of trees and how cold the window felt.

He and Amalia had been some of the first people on the buses which had picked them up from the train station in Central City. Coming from Nevada, he hadn't really seen too many trees save for the few they passed on the train before heading into the Great Plains region. Now there were  _tons._ He really had only seen dense forests like the one outside his window in movies and shows, hardly ever in real life. They were nice in the day time, but heck was it creepy at night. It reminded him of some of the few horror movies he'd seen where people would enter a dark forest and not come back out the same.. if at all.

A shiver ran down his spine as he thought of all the monsters and creatures and ghosties that could be lurking within the tall trees. Then his blood ran cold as he thought of all the monsters that were seated all around him on the bus... Freaky Friday...

The girl hadn't stopped staring at him since their first enlightening conversation, and the eyes were quite unsettling. He could only think of how the time would go by so much quicker if he was with his sister and making new friends on the other... not so scary bus. Laughing and joking and being carefree without worrying about a red-eyed girl eating your soul... Could she do that? She looked like she could.

Amett frowned and shrank into the corner of his seat, drawing his knees up to his chest. The handcuffs only allowing him to go so far as he hugged them closer, giving another small shiver.

All he could do was wonder and hope if the actual camp would be better than this.


	6. Hell of a Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! Thanks for staying with this story, all of your kudos and kind reviews are so inspiring and really brighten my day. Sorry for the long gap, I've been awfully busy, but I hope this chapter makes up for it!
> 
> Enjoy :)

 

* * *

_**Leta Maison** _

**Vermont Mountains, 8:45 PM**

* * *

 

_Superman's a fraud._

Leta's expression was stone cold as her chocolate brown eyes followed the man who was flying along the bus, making goofy faces at some of the younger kids who were too afraid to sleep. The sound of giggling filled her eyes and she craned her neck to see their tiny smiling faces in the seats behind her.

But she wasn't smiling. They didn't have a clue that he'd been the one to put them all there. Wrongfully. She couldn't help but feel the nagging sense of irritation toward the man who had once been a hero in her mind. Now he was just a some glorified super-powered cop who stole children from their homes.

For the good of the country, of course! Hell of an excuse. The League had to know this was wrong. When news first broke of the camps Leta believed the idea would be put down immediately by the League. And when it wasn't she wanted to believe they decided on it because there simply wasn't another option.

But she finally made herself aware of the harsh reality that they just wanted control. They wanted to contain what they couldn't understand and control it, even if it wasn't all of their faults. The few criminals that had run wild and destroyed all those cities,  _they_  were the ones who were nuts not all these little kids. Leta couldn't stand it, watching all of their distressed little faces, and terrified wide eyes. The League had to see it too, they had to look them in the eyes and tell them that they'd have to say goodbye to mom and dad for a long time.

But don't worry! You get to see them for a week on holidays and you'll be all free to go when you're 20! Some of these kids are still in the single digits, they could be here for over a  _decade_. Or at least until the League snaps out of it or deems them worthy to be let go into the world. It was sickening. And here was this buffoon in red and blue and the iconic valiant cape making them laugh as if there wasn't a single bad thing in the world.

It made her  _furious._  But what was she to do now? She didn't do anything when Black Canary and the big man himself showed up at her doorstep that morning. She simply nodded her head, pretending to understand why this was happening, said her goodbyes to her parents and kissed her little sister on the head, promising she'd be back soon. That was a lie, she was stuck here for another three years.

It was a preventative effort, she knew that. Of course they meant well, they're the freakin' Justice League. But this time they were wrong and she couldn't help but wonder if all these little kids were holding themselves together because they think the League actually cares about them. Leta wasn't sure if they did, truly. Maybe they thought they did, but they couldn't really if they made this decision. They just couldn't.

Leta finally tore her gaze away from Superman, setting her focus on the thick foliage and trees whipping past the bus. But almost instantly, something else caught her attention. A quiet sound among the giggles of little children. It wasn't a laugh, it was something else. It was whimper.

Leta furrowed her brows and shifted her gaze over toward the source of the noise, resting her eyes upon a young girl with velvety looking dark brown hair that cascaded over her shoulders in gentle waves. The girl wasn't too much younger than Leta herself, probably around fourteen or fifteen, but there was something in her teary, doe-like brown eyes that screamed fear and sadness.

Leta offered one last glance toward Superman, then pressed her lips together tightly in annoyance and returned her attention back to the girl. She slowly got up from her seat, eyeing the driver who maintained focus on the road. She then crouched by the young girl's seat, offering a small, gentle smile to her.

"Hey.." The girl's eyes snapped up to Leta, looking briefly fearful before she settled back against the window of the bus. "Mind if I sit here?"

The girl paused, seeming to ponder Leta's question before giving a small shrug of her shoulder, moving her hand up to nibble at her fingernail. Leta maintained her smile and slipped into the seat beside the girl, although being careful to give her all the space she wanted.

"What's your name?"

The girl paused, moving her hand away from her face again before responding.

"Amalia."

Leta smiled then, nodding her head.

"Nice to meet you, Amalia."

The girl offered a strained smile, then shifted her gaze back out toward the trees. Leta's smile faded slightly as she studied Amalia's distressed expression, resentment for the League once again bubbling up inside her. Then she moved to fold her hands in front of her, leaning forward casually.

"You look upset."

Amalia then turned her gaze back to Leta, looking startled for a moment before offering a sheepish shrug of her shoulder once again.

"I guess I am..."

Leta then straightened out her posture, struggling to keep the look of anger off her face, instead displaying an understanding one.

"You know the League they-"

"No, no-" Amalia was quick to cut Leta off, surprising the older girl slightly as she gave a tilt of her head. "It's not them... they were nice... you know? It's just... they put my brother on that bus back there. He's not a criminal, I swear it! He was just trying to help.."

Leta perked a brow, moving to prop her elbow up on the back of the seat and peer over it to eye the bus following behind their own. She'd recognized it as a bus for the more... troubled metas. The ones who had the highest potential of being future city-wreckers. But I guess it did make sense that there could be a mix up or two, or that they were taking every last precaution to keep even minor offenders at bay.

"What'd he do?" Leta slid her arm off the back of the seat and settled it in her lap, waiting for the girl to explain.

There was a moment of hesitation before the girl scratched the back of her head with a curl of her lip.

"Well.. our principal's car stalled and my brother's got zappy powers so he decided maybe if he just you know... gave it a jump start..."

Leta's eyes widened.

"Shit, did he kill the guy?"

Amalia quickly perked up and waved her hands, shaking her head frantically.

"No, no, no!" She then paused and tilted her head slightly. "Just... the car... I mean everything was settled but... he's got a criminal record and they said he  _had_  to be on that bus..."

She trailed off, her lip trembling slightly as she moved to drag a hand down her flushed looking face and look back toward the window.

"Hey, hey.." Leta slowly put a hand on her shoulder, compassion settling over her face as she offered another smile. "It'll be alright, I'm sure we can get everything sorted out once we get to the camp."

"You think so?" Amalia looked back to Leta, her flustered expression fading slightly.

Leta smiled and nodded, moving to wrap her arm around the young girl carefully and give her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"I'll make sure of it, kiddo."

Amalia's expression brightened, relief flooding her expression before a grin spread over her features.

"You'd do that?"

Leta scoffed and gave a small smile, removing her arm from around Amalia's shoulders and gave her a little nudge.

"Of course, that's what friends do, yeah?"

The young girl's despair seemed to dissipate instantly, being replaced by a bubbly presence and a grin that seemed to cover her whole face. She gave a glance over her shoulder toward the bus behind her before looking back to Leta, her wide eyes bright and happy.

The warring emotions bouncing around Leta's head became tame for a moment as she took in the girl's smiling face. Something in her mood had shifted. Maybe being the pessimist was bringing her down. If she was stuck in this hellhole for the next few years, she may as well make other people's time there more bearable, at least while she was around. Maybe she could even teach them to stick up for themselves, or stand up to the League. Something.

Maybe she could contribute to putting an end to this shit after all..


	7. A New Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey y'all! Sorry for the lack of updates, I've had a crazy few months! Hopefully, the updates will be coming out a bit quicker this time around but we'll see! Thanks to all those who've followed/favorited/commented, it makes a world of difference knowing someone's interested in the story you're telling! :) Hope you all enjoy!

 

* * *

_**Chance Elhaney** _

**Gotham City Suburbs, 7:00 AM**

* * *

Flashes of light blue and lavender lit up the grinning boy's freckled face as horses made of colorful wisps of light bounded around the room, illuminating the walls and the young faces within them. The laughs and exclamations from his friends only further induced a sense of joy and warmth within the young meta. He watched as the glowing horse pranced around his best friend, Thea, her face lighting up with excitement as she reached forward to make a grab for the horse. Her hands passed through the glowing animal as if it were simply a projection.

Chance knew that, in a sense, that's what it was, but more of a projection of the soul is how he preferred to explain it. It was too complicated and boring otherwise. However, he also knew that his friend wouldn't be any less entertained by the fact that she couldn't truly touch the projection of her own soul. Which... sounded a bit weird the more that Chance thought about it, but who was he to question his own abilities anyway?

His smile only grew as he watched Reggie, Thea's young brother, stare up at the dark green eagle that soared over his head with wide, bright eyes. The bird left a trail of green sparkles in its wake, sprinkling dark green sparkles over the boy's awestruck face.

Happiness. That was the best feeling in the world in Chance's opinion. Either that or friendship. It was a very, very close tie. And he was feeling both at the same time, he felt like the luckiest person alive. Bump! Chance's soft brown eyes fluttered open as the bus slowly screeched to a stop, his brows furrowing slightly as his little friendship daydream melted away before his eyes. His previously happy smile dipped slightly into a disappointed frown as he peered to his left and out the window, drawing his knees up to his chest with a small huff. They had stopped at another neighborhood. Gosh, it was boring.

Typically he loved meeting new people, but not like this! On a bus, kinda sorta against his will, even though he loved Superboy and Miss Martian and didn't believe that'd truly do anything to hurt him if he didn't want to go with them. But it almost seemed that way. He remembered feeling ecstatic when they came to see him again, after-all, they were kind of friends. Not like that had movie days or game nights or anything like that, but they had saved him once! To him, the incident was mostly a blur, he only remembered bits and pieces. Super bright lights, mean people, cold hands and this really weird beeping noise. And clocks. Lots and lots of clocks.

Chance remembered asking Miss Martian if he was attacked by his alarm clock for hitting snooze many times. He laughed when she had laughed. She was really nice, and had a really pretty smile, she reminded him of his big sister. Though it was odd, he never really received an answer when he had asked what had happened to him and why he couldn't remember. Miss Martian and Superboy just said it was probably better he had forgotten, and if they said so then Chance was a-okay with it. Which was why he was also so a-okay with the fact that the two of them had told him that it was for the better that he was going to this weird camp. Although part of him wasn't quite as steel sure that they were on board with what they were saying. Miss Martian looked a little sad when she and Superboy had come to pick him up, and Superboy just looked distracted. Chance thought that he always looked kinda distracted, but like, he was level weird distracted.

Still, off he went with a surprisingly difficult goodbye from his sister. She had fought hard for him to stay, she was pretty mad at them, but Chance knew that they were only doing what they had to do to help. His own little town had been impacted by the weird meta-human crazy-fest that was going down throughout the world. He knew it must be hard for any sort of solution to be made when there was a problem like that to deal with.. on top of... aliens.. and other weird things the Justice League protected the planet from.

A small gasp from the seat in front of him pulled Chance from his thoughts. He went to prop himself up on his knees and peer over the top of the seat, his gaze landing on a girl with curly brown hair and scared brown eyes curled up in the corner of the seat by the window. She looked to be a few years older than him, but he didn't think that would make her anymore tough than anyone else on the bus. He tilted his head and went to give her a tap on the shoulder.

"Excuse me..?" His voice, although soft, appeared to startle the girl even more as she jerked her shoulder away from him and whipped her head around to stare at him with her frightened gaze.

"Wow, oops, I'm sorry, are.. are you okay?" Chance asked quickly, holding up his hands slightly, now feeling just as uneasy as the girl he was attempting to calm.

Rather than speaking, the girl curled further into herself and leaned against the window again, her eyes screwing shut as she released a shaky breath. Chance had pulled both his hands back, figuring that physical contact to reassure her was probably not the best move.

"I'm sorry if I scared you.. I just wanted to see if you were going to be oka-"

"I'm fine. Just sit down and don't talk to me."

Chance blinked, quickly shutting his mouth as he stared down at the girl with a confused stare. His cheeks began to burn slightly as he felt embarrassment creep over him.

"Okay... I.. sorry.. that was... mhm.. personal space..."

"What part of 'don't talk to me' do you not comprehend?" The girl's voice was bitter, but trembling.

"Sorry-" Chance quickly went quiet again, sinking back against his seat as he gave a deep sigh, his frown deepening slightly as he absentmindedly swung his legs back and forth off the front of the seat, his toes barely brushing the ground from the height of the tall seat. That was the worst feeling in the world, wanting to help and not being able to. He looked out the window, watching quietly as a girl in her late teens with short, curly brown hair with dark magenta tips hopped onto the bus with a confident stride, her gaze sweeping about the passengers. Chance began to hold up a hand to wave, but quickly brought his hand down, instead moving to bounce his leg slightly up and down, his eyes falling onto the inhibitor bracelets on his wrists. They were a little itchy.

"Is this seat taken?" A warm female voice once again stole Chance's attention. He glanced up to see the newcomer gently smiling down at him. Chance brightened, feeling his smile begin to return.

"Oh! Nope." He shook his head.

"Mind if I..?" Chance blinked, surprise briefly replacing his happiness. She wanted to sit with him! Finally, someone who wanted to talk.. or at least try to make friends, maybe.

"Oh sure! I'd love to have some company." He paused, briefly glancing toward the seat with the scared looking girl.

"The others are kinda scary... or sad..."

"So I see.." Chance caught the girl smile as he straightened up and shifted closer toward the window to make room for the taller girl. The smile once again began pulling at his lips as he sat up in his seat, he then turned his head to look at the girl who was staring absentmindedly at the seat ahead of her.

"My name's Chance, what's yours?" The girl blinked and glanced over at him.

"Sorry? I didn't hear." Chance simply flashed her a smile and waved his hand. "I said my name's Chance! What's yours?"

"Kinsley." The girl finally mirrored Chance's smile, her eyes mysterious, yet oddly kind. She seemed genuinely interested in talking to him too.

That was a nice change, maybe he had found a new friend after all.

* * *

**Somewhere in the Northern Labrador Sea**

* * *

Black wing-tipped shoes slowly stepped along the middle of a cement pathway, bordered on either side by freezing seawater. Above the head of the owner of said shoes, was a clear glass ceiling, revealing nothing but the bitterly cold and treacherously dark water of the Labrador Sea. The man's dark overcoat trailed behind him as he practically glided through the chilled tunnel and to the set of large metal doors at the end of it.

He slipped off a dark leather glove to place his sickly pale looking hand against a handprint scanner, removing it only when the doors hissed and slid open, allowing the man entrance into the dark circular room before him. The glove was slipped back onto his hand, though the man paused when the edge of the glove met one of the few golden watches the man wore upon his wrist. He slowly released the glove and tapped at the glass covering the hands on the watch, waiting until the previously stalled hands began to tick once more.

"Sir." A woman's voice from the left caught the man's attention, his pale blue gaze sweeping over toward the source of the voice.

"Walsh." The man responded in a quiet, smooth tone, stepping toward the uniformed assistant.

"Phase Two appears to be on the road to completion..." The assistant, Walsh, stuttered quietly.

"Show me."

Upon the man's request, Walsh turned to a keyboard laid out on one of the side desks in the rooms, pressing a button to display a various news stations on a wide projector in the middle of the room. Slowly, the man approached, his gaze glued onto the videos of overturned cars, burning buildings and people running, shifting his attention to the headlines.

"'Meta-Human Apocalypse'?" The man paused, a small tugging at his lips. "Cute... What of the Justice League then?" Walsh quickly walked over, pressing a button on a small remote to change the stations.

"They're creating... camps... sir."

"Camps?"

"Yes.. to.. teach and protect children with an activated meta-human gene."

"Mrm.." The man approached the screen again. "Well that won't do, will it?"

The room was eerily quiet, the only sound being that of keyboards tapping quietly from the various workers in the room. Even from a few feet away the man could tell young Walsh was stiff.. intimidated.

"Then again..." He took a deep, thoughtful breath and narrowed his eyes. "Maybe it will..." 

"Sir..?"

"Walsh." The man addressed the woman almost condescendingly, evoking a small squint from the woman that disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"They're rounding them up... placing them in a centralized area.."

"I know, it's a set-back... we're thinking of a way around it-"

"Ah-" The man held up a finger, silencing her as he shifted his gaze back to the screen. "It's an opportunity."

He didn't have to see the woman's reaction to know she understood now. She was clever enough to figure it out with a little help. Though he remained quiet, thoughtful, as he looked over each headline and update from the Justice League and the U.N., furrowing his brows as his gaze settled upon on one, briefly shown headline in particular.

"Oh and Walsh?"

The woman stopped before reaching her desk, glancing back at the man.

"Do alert me if there's any sighting of the Nightwing snooping about these camps, won't you?"

"Of course, sir." The woman took a seat at her desk as the man continued to eye the screen, eventually turning away and placing one hand behind his back, the other slipping into his overcoat to retrieve a silver pocket watch. He ran a gloved thumb over the shiny metal before clicking it open, watching the hands within the watch tick past quietly, a smile once again crossing his face.

"Soon, my friend..." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: YeeT! Take a team member introduction and also the first peek at the big baddie of the story. Hope you enjoyed this much over due update! Reviews and whatnot are greatly appreciated if you have any thoughts! :) Hope you all are having some happy holidays!


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